Gardens

When Grizedale Arts director Adam
Sutherland first came to live at Lawson
Park in 2000, there was no garden in evidence. Nearly two
decades later, the site now includes a diversity of growing
spaces in around 5 acres. As challenging a site as it is beautiful,
Lawson Park has high rainfall and an exposed location, yet it has
proved possible to create a fascinating and productive site that
feeds into the wider work of Grizedale Arts.

Anecdotally it was said there had been a potato / vegetable
patch which had sustained the last farming family to occupy the
land in the 1950's, but by 2000 the near-derelict site had only a
few hazel coppices, a rowan and some tumbledown dry stone walls
bordered by Forestry Commission conifer plantations on one side and
the Brantwood Estate on the other. However, the site - an exposed
south west facing slope some 180 metres (600 feet) above sea level
- clearly offered incredible potential, with its natural streams
and uninterrupted views of the Old Man of Coniston mountain.

The present gardens were begun on a wet February weekend in
2001, when Adam and partner Karen Guthrie (a keen gardener) planted
a hedgerow of native plants along a track boundary between the edge
of Grizedale Forest and Lawson Park. Largely unplanned at this
early stage, a half acre ornamental area immediately in front of
the farmhouse has developed from many seed-grown perennials
propagated by Karen as time and finances allowed.

Keen to avoid replicating a traditional Lake District garden, the
experimental plantings are in constant flux, influenced in turn by
modern European prairie plantings, Japanese garden design and
observations of the wild landscape in the immediate vicinity.
The garden areas are classified as 'Ornamental Gardens' or
'Productive Gardens'. As the plan to develop Lawson Park as
Grizedale's head-quarters emerged, the ambition of the garden has
increased. It now seeks to articulate the philosophical aims of the
organisation and act as a test-bed for new farming / horticultural
practices and artists' projects.

Landscape architect Lyn Kinnear was among the
earliest advisors, as was designer Becky
Sobell. From 2006 - 2008 professional gardener
George Watson joined Karen and Adam part-time.
Work parties and volunteers are an important part of the annual
maintenance regime now, with all residents and staff on site
working on the land for a period each week.

In 2014/15 Stephen Rae gardened with us, and in
2015 Grace Holland and Ann-Catherine
Andersson joined as part-time gardeners. Adam
Hughes joined in 2016.

VISIT THE GARDEN
The gardens were selected by the prestigious
National Gardens Scheme to open to the public for
charity in 2008/9/10 and despite the reliably awful weather on Open
Days, welcomed over 500 visitors including the Hardy Plant Society
and many local groups.
Though now withdrawn from the NGS we periodically invite members of
the public to visit Lawson Park - email us at
info@grizedale.org to arrange